


II. You Need A Match

by logicalwritings



Series: We Didn't Start The Fire [2]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Angst, Gen, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-06
Updated: 2017-12-06
Packaged: 2019-02-11 12:26:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12935241
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/logicalwritings/pseuds/logicalwritings
Summary: Patton’s popular; Logan knows this information just as well as he knows the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell. It is common knowledge just like it is common knowledge that adding 2 and 2 equals four or that apples grow on trees. Patton is too kind to hate. Water is wet.However, no one today is happy to see Patton. They’re all curious zombies who watched the evening news last night and saw that Patton’s stepmother is on trial. They see Patton’s face;even high schoolers can put two and two together.





	II. You Need A Match

Logan walks up to the front double doors of his school, his hand encompassing Patton’s. He nearly has to drag Patton along, for his friend keeps stopping to talk with every student who calls his name. The two walk on until they reach their lockers and Logan releases his hand. Patton wears a bright smile; it is a feature that is not in the slightest bit new.

“They all seem happy to see me!” Patton says, twisting out his combination and pulling open his door.

Patton’s popular; Logan knows this information just as well as he knows the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell. It is common knowledge just like it is common knowledge that adding 2 and 2 equals four or that apples grow on trees. Patton is too kind to hate. Water is wet.

However, no one today is happy to see Patton. They’re all curious zombies who watched the evening news last night and saw that Patton’s stepmother was charged with two counts of assault ( _two_ , meaning there was an occasion Patton didn’t tell Logan about), and is on another trial for charges of child abuse. They see Patton’s face; even high schoolers can put two and two together.

“Happy,” Logan repeats quietly. He slips his books in his locker, keeping out his chemistry book.

“Patton, I saw the news last night,” a voice snaps. Logan turns around to see Roman wearing a blindingly white shirt with a red sash going down the middle. His Nikes squeak against the floor as he cups Patton’s face and examines the wound. Roman lets out a sigh, drops his hand and goes over to his locker, next to Logan’s, and begins twisting out his combination.

“Would you like me to cover it up?” Roman asks. “I know how. I have makeup.” He reaches in and pulls out a clear bag filled with concealers, foundations, eyeshadows, nail polish, and every makeup product one could imagine.

Patton smiles shakily. “Sure, kiddo.”

“Follow me,” Roman says, slamming his locker shut and flouncing off. Patton follows then glances back to Logan. He makes a gesture for Logan to follow, but Logan just shakes his head and makes a motion for Patton to follow Roman.

In the social ladder, Logan is not at the bottom rung, but he is not even close to the top. Patton and Roman are at the absolute top. Patton’s up there because he’s so kind and makes everyone feel loved. Roman’s up there because he’s a god-like performer and is considered the “hottest” male at the school. You’d have to be foolish to dislike Patton or Roman. Logan settles somewhere in the middle of the ladder.

Patton hangs out with him and for some reason calls him his “best friend.” Roman taught Logan how to fist bump, he gave him and his family free tickets to his show, and he invites Logan to sit with him and Patton at lunch. Perhaps they’d be considered acquaintances. However, the less kind popular kids do not consider Logan as much of anything. He’s called a robot behind his back, but that’s about it. He was punched once by Anthony Kirkwood because he said Logan was “banging his girlfriend” behind his back (he wasn’t), but that incident was put to rest when Roman punched the guy back so hard that he broke his nose.

So. Yeah. Logan fears he’d be imposing by following Roman and Patton to the bathrooms.

Logan is knocked from his thoughts when Virgil comes over, pulling open his locker beside Patton’s. Now, if you wanted to talk about the absolute of the social ladder, that’s where Virgil sits. Curled up. Refusing to move. He’s probably been called an “emo faggot” more times than his own name. He wears the same hand-me-down black hoodie and skinny jeans every day and it’s common knowledge, just as water is wet and Patton is kind, that it’s because Virgil’s family simply cannot afford to buy him new clothes. Virgil’s monetary situation is laughed at and discussed more than prom or finals exams or war.

Logan approaches Virgil as he often tries to, just to show that not everyone at the school is against him. He’s surprised to see tears in the boy’s eyes, lower lip wobbling as he slams his locker shut too loud and students turn to stare.

“Is everything all right, Virgil?” Logan asks. He makes a point of using his name; he always has.

“Hey, Logan,” Virgil says, scrubbing his eyes. “What’s up?”

“I am not up to much if that is what you are inquiring. The ceiling is what is in the upward direction if it is _that_ you are inquiring.”

Virgil laughs and it’s a pleasant sound. “I heard about Patton.”

“Ah, of course,” Logan says.

“My dad thinks just ‘cause Patton and I hung out a couple times, I’m obligated to be his emotional support right now.” Virgil sighs. “Not that I don’t wanna- I do. But. Patton’s not like, my BFF or anything.” His voice is cynical, dry, and sarcastic somehow all at once. “And my stupid anxiety won’t let me even approach him. So. Can you, from me, tell Patton I uh- I’m here for him. And uh- if he wants to chill with a dude who’s not filled to the brim with BS niceness just for popularity, I’m here.”

Virgil sends finger guns Logan’s way and picks his biology textbook off of the floor. “See you around, dude.”

Logan gives a half-hearted wave as the kid walks off, ducking his head to avoid the looks from disgust from the kids who think they’re better than him, but ironically, combined are worth less than Virgil, who is more honest and good than any of them.

~\/~

Logan passes Virgil’s comment on to Patton who grins in response and looks happier than ever, if possible. Later on, Roman invites Logan to Roman and Patton’s table while Logan talks to Virgil. Virgil looks completely embarrassed and flustered, straightening his hoodie as if maybe it’ll make him look less worthy of being punched in the face. Roman just smiles and tells Logan to “bring his friend,” then marches off as he hums a song from Cinderella.

At the lunch table, the four sit together and Roman opens his packed lunch and throws his carrots at whoever will eat them, along with an oatmeal raisin cookie. Patton, Logan, and Virgil all set their school lunches of turkey potpies and granola bites onto the table and inspect the green liquid oozing out of the pie with something like interested disgust. Logan glances at Patton; there’s a small pink line where the once hugely noticeable scratch was.

“I hope it’s not mould,” Virgil comments to Logan, but Patton hears it as well and laughs.

“It wouldn’t surprise me, kiddo.”

“God knows what they put in these lunches,” Roman says.

“They buy them in bulk,” Logan explains. “They keep them in the freezer for a long time until they have to use them.”

“That’s so interesting, Logan,” Patton says, biting into his pot pie and immediately spitting it right back out with a quiet, “Yuck.”

Roman rolls his eyes. “Interestingly boring,” he comments.

“I apologise.”

“No need to,” Roman says with a frown. “It’s a joke, Calculator Watch.”

“Ah, yes. Okay.”

“Patton!” Stacy Mall squeals the word out as she sits across from Patton. Her dark hair is pulled into a sloppy bun, glasses pushed up against the knot of hair at the top of her head. “I saw the news last night. Awful, really. Are you okay?”

Virgil stares down at his shoes as Patton smiles widely. “I’m fine, kiddo. How’re you?”

“Awful. Someone’s starting drama over my ex again,” she says with an eye roll. “I’m going to be polite and not mention any names, but _Misha_ might be someone you wanna avoid.”

Virgil looks up suddenly, eyebrows furrowed. “That’s my sister,” he says.

“Oh. Makes sense,” Stacy says with a shrug and gets up. “My mama’s praying for you, Patton.” She walks off, the jacket tied around her waist swaying as she goes. Logan notices Virgil’s standing up, ready to follow her and Roman reaches over, pushing him down.

“She’s very petty,” Roman says. “Stacy’s the one who starts the drama over her ex all the time. Not Misha.”

“Go figure,” Virgil grumbles, stabbing into his side of granola. “Everyone in high school is so freaking petty.”

“Got that right,” Roman says.

“They care about stupid issues- ones that don’t even matter.”

“Again, true, but let’s lighten the mood a little,” Roman says. He pulls out a thick slice of red velvet cake from his lunch bag. “Whoever screams that Roman has abs sculpted by God himself can have this piece of cake.”

“I’d rather die,” Virgil says.

But, Logan notes, he does look tempted by the offer.

~\/~

At the end of the day, Patton follows Logan to his car and slips into the passenger seat. The car muffles the noise of girls screaming cheers as they go to the bus. It muffles Jamel’s cries as she has her third breakdown of the month by the bicycle rack. It muffles the sound of Misha being called a slut and someone coming up behind her and snipping a chunk away from her hair. It muffles every bit off the petty and stupid atmosphere of high school.

Patton leans against the dashboard in front of the passenger seat. “The whole school knows. It’s embarrassing.”

“You’re handling it well,” Logan promises.

“Can I stay at your place tonight?”

“Will it be all right with your social worker?”

Patton nods. “I turn eighteen in three months. By the time this is all over, I’m an adult short another parent.” Tears slip down his cheeks. “I hate high school. It feels stupid compared to real life.”

Logan agrees.

**Author's Note:**

> I think it's important to note that this series works different than my other series do; for one, this consists of short little snippets, not multi-chaptered fics. Another thing to note is that this series in chronological order, yes, but there are big gaps or skips in time. This series is more of a concept series than a fully mapped out one, if that makes sense. 
> 
> Anywho. Hope you guys enjoy!!


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